Filming in Gonarezhou National Park
Gonarezhou National Park is located in the south eastern region of Zimbabwe. This massive park borders Transfrontier Park. The park is the second largest and is known as the place of the elephants for its big number of almost 11000 elephants that has grown due to the great effort of conservation happening in the park. In the past years, wildlife had decreased in big numbers due to heavy poaching, but there has been a great increase in populations over the last few years. Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park and South Africa’s Kruger National Park to make up an enormous wilderness area known as the Great Limpopo wilderness frontier
Wildlife in the park
The wildlife in the park is in big numbers. The area is filled with a variety of species. The elephants, Buffaloes, hippos, zebra that are common. The giraffe, wildebeest and hyenas. Rarely sighted animals include. Lions, leopards, cheetah and wild dogs. This park also has the variety of antelope species namely the sable antelope, the tiny suni and the nyala antelope. If you are interested in filming any of the above, Gonarezhou national park is one of the places to visit.
Birds in the park
Gonarezhou national park has recorded over 400 bird species .this park supports wide range of birslife and some of the most notable birds in the area include African fish eagle, brown-headed parrot, lappe-faced vulture, martial eagle, Pel’s fishing owl. In addition to these are other common species namely, African pitta, bat hawk, narina trogon, yellow bill, mosque swallow and many more.
Scenery in the park
Gonarezhou national park is blessed with eye-catching scenary. It has a well-balanced mixture of woodlands, river Runde flowing through the land, flood plains and forests of mopane. Not forgetting the famous red sandstone chijolo cliffs that glows during the sunset giving you plenty to shoot and film while in this park
Requirements to film in Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe Park
In order to film in Gonarezhou national park. You will need to acquire permission. The process of securing a filming permit in Zimbabwe can be time-consuming so it needs enough time before the filming in order to complete the necessary process and secure the filming permit. Filming permits in Zimbabwe are processed by the ministry of information. Since it’s a national park, park charges by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority also apply.
Media accreditation is also vital for filming in Zimbabwe and the application is made to the Zimbabwe media council. The charge for accreditation is 2000usd for shoot accreditation application and in addition to this, each member of the crew pays 200usd. Contact film crew fixers for further information on the requirements for filming in Gonarezhou national park.
Filming equipment also needs to be cleared and this can be done through a bonded agent or securing a 5% percent of the value of equipment, however this is not advisable and the preferred procedure is that of using a bonded agent. Film crew fixers has all the necessary connections with a number of bonded agents that can clear your equipment on entry and exit. Contact us for any help with kit clearing.
Zimbabwe Visa and work permit advice
A tourist visa or business visa can work for your entry into the country. The single entry visa costs USD30. Film crews prefer getting there visa before coming into the countries and this is possible through the online system of the Zimbabwe department of immigration. Proof of yellow fever and vaccination and a Covid 19 free negative certificate are necessary for entry. The prices of visas and work permits change regularly. For updated information regarding travel to Zimbabwe, you can contact your embassy or us regarding the following issues.
• A passport is required for all foreign visitors and has to be valid for at least six months
• Passports must have at least three empty pages
• Citizens of most countries require a visa, which can be obtained at arrival
• A list of countries whose citizens don’t require a visa or can acquire one upon arrival is available
• A list of countries whose citizens are required to obtain their visa in advance is available. The application can be made online.
• When arriving from a yellow-fever-infected country, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required
Best time to visit
The best time to film in this park is during the dry seasons from May to October. The animals are easily spotted because the grass is thinned out. The wet season is not encouraged because of the difficulty in driving through the park during the season.
How to get there
Gonarezhou National Park is remote and relatively inaccessible. There are two areas to visit: Chipinda HQ is located 550km/342mi south of Harare, and Mabalauta HQ is located 667km/414mi south of Harare. The roads in the park are often very poor, especially in the Wet season, and a good 4WD is essential. Some lodges have airstrips, and we can organize chartered flights. The road transfer to the lodge from the airport takes 45 minutes. Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) will be the point of arrival for most safaris. Another option is to fly to Harare International Airport (HRE). Your filming package includes travel arrangements throughout the country booked by your local fixer operator.
Where to stay when filming in Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe
Accommodation options when filming in Gonarezhou national park in Zimbabwe. These range from budget, midrange and luxury. Your choice of accommodation depends on your interest and budget. Lodge options include Chilo gorge safari lodge, chengeta safari lodge, dumela wilderness safaris and many others .contact us for help with reservation and more information on accommodation.
Zimbabwe transport services
Film crew fixers organizes transportation for film crews to film in Gonarezhou national park. Depending on their interest and Budget and the nature of roads to the destination. We organize both road and air transport for film crews. We recommend customized 4×4 safari land cruisers for vehicles because of the nature of roads in Zimbabwe. These land cruisers cost USD200-250 per vehicle per day. Fuel is estimated on the number of days that are scheduled by the filming schedule. We will need to look at it for establishing the mileage and distance to be traveled.
Film fixers in Zimbabwe to help you film in Gonarezhou National Park
All our vehicles come with drivers who act as location fixers and most of them have been to most of the parts in Zimbabwe and are very conversant with the local situations .they provide relevant information and fix any situation on ground. They also act as intermediaries between you and our office while on location. Contact us if you need a film fixer in Zimbabwe.
Why use film crew fixers to film in Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe
Film crew fixers is a company based in Uganda that assists production agencies and filming companies in South and East African countries as a whole. We handle all fixer services required with our professional team of local fixers and driver guides. We have all the relevant connections with other service providers and government agencies to make sure that accreditation and filming permits are processed in a short time. Contact us for details and all relevant information you would like to know for successful filming in Gonarezhou national park in Zimbabwe.
